Spotlight on: Baby Armadillos!

Armadillos are a family classification of animals that come in a whole variety of cute species that live all over the world. Common in both North and South America, armadillos species are often referred to by the number of “bands” on their back – (e.g. “Nine Band” “Three Band” “Six Band”). Their cool, catchy name is as cute as they are: armadillo comes from the Spanish word meaning “little armored one”, and that’s exactly what these adorable baby animals are, with thick flexible leathery shells which are good for warding off troublesome predators.

Many of the distinct species of armadillo are found in Central and South America, and far before modern science was classifying animals the Aztecs who lived in the habitat of these meandering mammals had their own word for them that meant “turtle-rabbit”. Check out the gallery and see if you think you can see why the early Aztecs thought that armadillos looked like some kind of crazy mix between a turtle and a rabbit!